MOUNT Gambier has retained top spot on the South East Australian Basketball League ladder after a hard-fought 11-point victory over Nunawading Friday night at the Icehouse.
But the win was anything but easy, with the Spectres – in second place on the East Conference ladder – coming out hard to knock the first-placed Pioneers off their pedestal.
It was a four-quarter effort that kept the home side in the lead at every change, with another game-high performance from Brad Hill, who finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
While the margin appeared comfortable in the end, the game was in the balance until the final 30 seconds of play, with the Spectres not allowing the Pioneers to break away to any decent margin.
To open proceedings the Pioneers were out to an early four-point advantage, but the Spectres closed that down and three minutes in led by three.
Scores were tied soon after when Luke Jamieson drained a three-point basket, but the big frame of Simon Conn found a two for the Spectres and the lead once more.
That scenario continued until the final 20 seconds in the term when a pair of successful free-throws to Hill gave the home side a four-point margin at the first break.
The second term started much the same, with the visitors first on the board to narrow the margin.
Jack Madgen found a basket for the Pioneers but the Spectres soon nullified that.
When Andrew Steele hit his first three for the term, the Spectres had wrestled the lead back and the see-sawing contest continued.
Conn continued to threaten under the hoop and when Dain Swetalla added a pair of free throws, the Spectres were five points clear.
With two minutes remaining in the half scores were again tied up and Hill added another two to his night’s tally.
Captain Tom Daly went to the charity stripe for a pair of successful baskets, then soon after Erik Burdon drained a three to stretch the margin.
Daly added another triple in the dying seconds of the half, with the Pioneers going to the long break 10 points clear.
But that was never going to be a comfortable margin, with the Spectres out of the blocks fast in the third term to close the margin to six.
Burdon found a two to stem the tide, before a dunk to Daniel Alexander had the crowd rising in unison.
Burdon was then fouled after putting up a three-point shot, which was successful and the ensuing free shot added a four-point play to the statistics.
The Pioneers looked comfortable, out by 14 points, but again the Spectres hit back.
Within two minutes the margin was back to four, until John Jones went hard to the hoop for a dunk against the run of play.
The ebbs and flows continued until Kane DeWit sunk a three late in the term to give the home side a nine-point advantage heading into the final stanza.
While the Spectres were again first on the board for the term through a pair of free throws to Tom Wright, the Pioneers started to build a lead and forced the visitors to play catch-up for the remainder of the game.
Mid-way through the term the lead was out to 15, but the Spectres were nothing but persistent and with less than 30 seconds to play trailed by just six.
However, the Pioneers remained composed and recorded a much-deserved victory.
Apart from Hill, Alexander (18), Jamieson (14) and Daly (13) all reached double-figure scores.
For coach Richard Hill it was a welcome result in a game that produced everything, with no real advantage throughout the contest.
“It was an unbelievable game,” he said.
“We had a little patch before half time where we established a break.
“We held that but they came back, so that little patch was fairly important.
“We got it out to 15 in the last quarter, but they just kept coming back.
“They got it back to six points, but we were able to see it out.”
In a competition that continues to provide surprise results, Hill said the game was what he expected, with a plan devised to defend the Spectres tall players, which paid dividends.
“There was significant preparation in terms of defending their big guys,” he said.
“Luke Jamieson did a really good job for us defensively and on the glass.
“We had some plans and schemes to try to defend the interior, which we thought was one of their strengths.
“I think Simon Conn managed eight baskets of 22 (shots).
“We knew he would take a lot of shots and we wanted to contest those.”
Overall Hill said the game was what he expected from a team looking to finish ahead of the Pioneers.
“They came to win and they are a very good team,” he said.
“It probably shows the level of competition in the league.
“They are as good a team as are going around.
“They have the second best record in the comp, so based on that, they are the second best team.”
The top side at the end of the minor rounds will have the advantage to two home-court conference finals, which is something Hill said was a major focus for his side now.
But with that in mind it is a tough road home for the Pioneers, finishing the season with four games in eight days prior to the playoffs.
“While we are in unbelievable shape, we still haven’t locked up top spot yet and that is what our goal is,” he said.
“Nunawading is still in with a chance to finish top and if they won on Friday night they would have been in with a good shot.
“It is a good scenario for us now, but we have to make the most of it.
“We have a tough draw with travel and need to win at least four of our last seven games.”
